By Ezinwanne Onwuka and Douglas Burton
Breaking…(Kaduna) The Nigerian military says it has killed several top terrorist commanders and captured a notorious leader during operations from January to March 2025. For reasons unknown, the military refuses to explain why it has not taken down a notorious terrorist camp, or camps, in the Rijana forest south of Kaduna City, where more than 200 hostages have been held for 3 months.
“Our gallant troops demonstrated uncommon bravery,” said Maj. Gen. Markus Kangye, Director of Defense Media Operations, according to the News Agency of Nigeria. He confirmed the deaths of commanders Abba Allai, Abdullahi Ali, Jagaban, and Dan Danger.
“Abdullahi Ali was captured alive with severe gun wounds,” he added.
Kangye said military actions have fractured terrorist groups like Boko Haram and ISIS-affiliated ISWAP, leading to internal strife.
Operations also led to the arrests of arms dealers and the recovery of large weapons caches.
“The sustained operations against the terrorists also led to the arrest of scores of them, the rescue of kidnapped hostages, as well as the surrendering of many to our troops,” Kangye said.
Yet, military spokesmen have ignored documented reports of a series of three hostage torture camps in the forest belt around the town of Rijanna 35 miles south of Kaduna City. The town of Rijana was the site of an infamous train derailment and mass kidnapping of passengers on March 28, 2022, and is in the heart of an ungoverned space in Nigeria.
TruthNigeria began a series of videotaped interviews with Rijana survivors beginning in Feb. 25 and continuing since. Survivors say there are three big camps which may hold up to 600 hostages, beaten daily and starved. On April 2, a group of 25 emaciated survivors of a mass kidnapping in Kauru County on December 2, 2024 emerged from the forest after relatives paid their ransoms. The camp is reportedly in the shadow of three Nigerian military bases. Spokesmen have refused calls from TruthNigeria reporters for 5 weeks. An update on the latest discharge on Rijana survivors is planned to post later this evening, April 4.
Douglas Burton is the managing editor of TruthNigeria. Ezinwanne Onwuka selects and edits the daily feature titled, “What’s News?”
